Trust
When we first got Poco he didn't trust people. I was having problems with him walking all over me Refusing to stop,being afrade every time I would touch him. Then I found out he had been abused before I bought him. So It was back to square one reteaching him to trust me and for him to realize I wasn't going to beat him for something he didn't know. To get him to trust me I became one with him. I started going out and geting to know the body lanuage of the horse and their interaction between each other. The communication between horses is so great. The flick of an ear or the swish of a tail all mean deferent things, the stomp of a foot or the pinching up of a nose and flatened ears. I watched Poco playing one day with a younger gelding,Poco being more up the ladder in the gelding alpha. Poco was playing untill he had enough and the young horse would not stop so instead of tearing in to the younger horse that the game was over Poco started pawing the ground then he flattened his ears and pinched up his nose as if to say I've had enough go away from me I don't want to play any more. The Young horse wandered off. I also spent a lot of off time when we were not working on basic training skills to go out and gust walk around with him while he was grazing and pet him to let him get the feel of my hands all over him and to get him to be more comfortable with my hands. I would even swat flys away from his belly or wipe the flys away from his face and legs. I noticed he started stoping and would stand there while I would swat flys. All this made traning him easer he was becoming to trust me. I was so much eser to train him after that because when I would confuse him he would stomp one foot and shake his head telling me he was confused so we would start over with something he knew and then try something new. It is the greastest joy to have your horse tell you that he is confused and you are able to read the sings that he is confused and beable to have them tell you where they hurt by lifting up a leg as if to show you it is sore and they have a boo boo on it.To this very day I will spend time just walking around the pasture with him and him following me like a puppy with out a lead on him.
(This reminded me of poco and me at the begining)
(Warrior's Truce)
When the battle is over and their riders are lost,the cavalry horse and the warrior's horse meet. Will they form a truce, or are they also preparing to do battle?
(By Diana Beach)